Common name
Gallons Curse

Derivation
Cenchrus L., Sp. Pl. 1049 (1753) & Gen. Pl. 5th edn, 470 (1754); from the Greek kenchros (millet, Panicum miliaceum).

biflorus- from the Latin bis (twice) and flos (flower). Florets two per spikelet.

Published in
Fl. Indica 1: 238 (1820).

Common synonyms
Cenchrus barbatus Schum.

Habit
Annual, tufted. Stolons absent. Culms geniculately ascending, 5–90 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes unequal, the upper longer, channelled, hollow, thin-walled, eglandular, smooth, glabrous or pubescent. Mid-culm nodes constricted, purple, glabrous. Lateral branches branched, extravaginal, arising from lower culm or mid culm. Branch complement constant, one or two, with subequal branches, thinner than stem. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths loose, open for most of their length, with flat margins, longer than adjacent culm internode, scaberulous, glabrous on surface or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheaths inner surface glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 1.3–2 mm long. Collar dark, pubescent. Leaf-blade base simple or broadly rounded or cordate. Leaf-blades linear or lanceolate, 2–25 cm long, 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous, puberulous or pilose (sparsely). Leaf-blade margins scaberulous, glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence solid, a spikelike panicle (bearing clusters of spikelets), linear, 2–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis, with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular, scabrous, bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets
Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Involucre composed of bristles, connate into a disc below (2–4 mm diam), with 0.5–1 mm connate, ovate, 4–11 mm long. Involucre base obconical, glabrous. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets, in one whorl or with an outer whorl of thinner bristles, 7–15 in principal whorl, inner bristles longer than outer, with longest bristle scarcely emergent, 2.9–7 mm long, flattened, grooved on the face, rigid, retrorsely scaberulous, ciliate, obtuse or spinose. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, lower floret sterile, upper fertile, without rhachilla extension, ovate, dorsally compressed, acuminate, 3.5–6 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, falling entire, deciduous with accessory branch structures.

Glumes
Glumes thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, 40–50% of length of spikelet, membranous, 0–1-nerved. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume apex obtuse or acute. Upper glume ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm long, 60–70% of length of spikelet, membranous, 1–5-nerved. Upper glume apex obtuse or acute.

Florets
Basal sterile florets 1, with palea or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume, ovate, 70–80% of length of spikelet, membranous, 3–5-nerved, acute, muticous or mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate, 3.5–6 mm long, coriaceous, much thinner on margins, 5-nerved. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea coriaceous. Anthers 3, 0.4 mm long, brown. Anther tip smooth. Filaments 2 mm long. Stigmas yellow. Styles 2.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Grain oblong or orbicular, 1.1–1.3 mm long.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.

Western Australia: Fitzgerald, Hall, Dampier. Northern Territory: Victoria River, Barkly Tableland.Queensland: Burke, Warrego.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Paniceae

Notes
Introduced. In tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, arid and semi-arid low woodlands, acacia shrublands, and arid tussock grasslands. Flowers Apr.–Aug.

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